Nut-tapping machine.



NUT TAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. I4. Islz.

2 SHEETS-.SHEET 1.

v 1,217,998. Patented Mar.'l6,l1917.

G. H. RIDLON.

NUT TAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 121. 1912.

UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. RIDLON, OF SOUTH WHITLEY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR' TOGRIPNUTCOMPANY, i

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION vOE ILLINOIS. I

NUT-TAPPING MACHINE.

Specicatipn of Letters Patent.

Application led October 14, 1912. Serial No. 725,598.

To all whom t may concern.' Y v Be it known that I, GEORGE H.'R1DL0N, a

'citizen of the United States, residing at South lVhitley, in the countyof Whitley and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Nut-Tapping hIacliines, of which the following is a-flescriptioih My invention belongs to that general class of devlcesknown as nut tapping machines,

or the like, and relates particularly to an improved machine and tap andholder therefor. The machine is particularly designed to 0peratecontinuously without stopping any part for the removal of the nuts.which are automatically lfed into the machine, tapped,

and discharged into a suitable receptacle or hopper. The invention hasamong itsv objects the production of a device of the kind described thatis simple, convenient, rapid, eilicient, and satisfactory, and that maybe manufactured at comparativelylittle cost. It has among its furtherobjects the production of a device that is continuous in operation,thatis compact, and that does not require the constant -attention of anoperator. l'Vith a preferred lform of the machine an operator isrequired only in stopping or starting the machine` or in seeing that asupply vof'nuts to be tapped are in the feeding hopper. and even all ofthis may be arranged to be done automatically.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangementand combination of parts herein shown and described, and moreparticularly pointed outin the claims.

1n the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like orcorresponding parts,

Figure 1 is substantially a sectional view of a nut tapping machine,embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 -is a sectional view taken substantially online 2, 2 of Fig.` 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken substantially on line 3,3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side-elevation of the tap.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the other half.'

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of another form of tap chuck. i

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the same taken substantially on line 8, 8of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a view in elevation ofhalf of a chuck similar to tlnitshowninFig. 5, provided with a removable lining.

Fig. 10is`a sectional view of a different form of tap chuck or holder,and

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of a portion of a modiied form of tap.

' Referring to the drawings, 1, 1, etc., are nuts to be tapped, 2, 2 arenuts positioned on the 'cutter of the tap for the cutting of the threador tap nut, and 3, 3, etc., are nuts that have been tapped, and aretherefore ready to be removed from the machine.

The invention in its broadest sense comprises a slitable tap and thechuck for holding the same and rotating it, and also includes means forfeeding the nuts to the tap.

4As illustrated in Fig. 1, the nuts are fed to f The tap -consists of'a. suitable thread cutf ting tool ortap 4, provided withfa shank 5,which is preferably bent or offset at the opposite end at 54 for thepurpose hereafter mentioned. The tap is arranged Within the machine andcentered by what may be termed a tap chuck or holder, which, oa,-

operating With the tapped'nuts, holds the tap. The chuck or holder 6illustrated 1n` Figs. 1,2, 5 and 6, preferably consists of a plurality4of parts, as shown, two parts 6, 6, which are provided with an openingor aperture-through the same, the-rear end of' the aperture being curvedor bent from the Patented Mar. 6, 1917. y

shank end 5 is bent to conform to the angle or curvature vof theaperture, the proportions of the tap shank depending upon the chuck,-the machine to be operated, the size of the nuts, etc. As beforementioned, the tap is supported and centered Within this chuck by thetapped nuts, as very clearly shown in Fig. 1. As .the chuck is rotated,the nuts move along the shank from the cutter, supporting the tap. thoseat the end bearing against the curved part of the aperture. andpreventing lengthwise movement of the tap., By angling the tap and theaperture through the chuck, as shown, the tap is rotated b v therotation of the chuck. It will thus be seen that the tap is operatedcontinuously in tapping the nuts 'without any direct connection betweenthe chuck and tap, except through nuts passing over the shank.` so thatit 'is possible to tap the nutsl and move them along theshank and offthe end, permitting the machine to operate continuously withoutrequiring the removal of the tap at intervals to remove the nuts. Thepurpose of making the chuck in a plurality of parts, as shown, is tosimplify the manufacture of the chuck and to permit the ready insertionof the tool. The chuck parts 6, 6 may be rotated and supported in anysuitable manner, as shown they are arranged in a rotatable chuck support8, arranged in a head 11, carried b v a suitable frame 1.2. The chuckypart holder 8 is rotated by a shaft 9 and driving pulley 10, or theequivalent. Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the chuck holder 8is provided With an opening 8 through one side, and the carrier 11 andframe '12 with a hole 13, so that as the part 8 and the chuck 6, 6 arerotated, the nuts may drop from the end 5 of the shank through theopening into a suitable receptacle. In Fig. 1, I have shown a spout orhopper 15,--into4 which the nuts 3 may be dropped from the chuck, itbeing understood that any suitable receptacle may be arranged to catchthe nuts. In starting the device in operation, it being understood, aspreviously mentioned, that the tap no rmally loosely fits the apertureof the chuck, and is supported 'and centered by the nuts, it isnecessary to place several nuts on the tap before starting the mechanismin order to properly support and center the tap. As soon as the machinestarts operating, these nuts are replaced by the newly tapped nuts, andsoon, the nuts sliding along the shank and depositing in a suitablereceptacle.

i vented from rotation until the nut is tapped,

and passes upon the shank 5, at which time it is immaterial Whether thenuts rotate upon or with the shank. As illustrated in Fig. 1, a hopper18, of any suitable form and construction, is arranged above themachine, into which a supply of nuts may be placed. The hopper orreceptacle 18 is connected by conveyer 17 With the conveyer part 16, sothat the nuts are fedV down one at a time, and upon the edge,substantially as shown in Fig. 1. It may be mentioned that any suitablemeans may be -provided for agitating the nuts in the receptacle 18, orcausing them to enter the conveyer 17 and feed down to be placed uponthe tap.

To move the nuts from the foot vof the conveyer 17 to the tap, I providea plunger 19, or its equivalent. The plunger 19 is adapted toreciprocate back and forth at intervals, and push a nut from the foot ofthe chute 17 on to the tap, where it will be engaged'by the threadcutting tool. Re-

ferring to Fig. 1, the plunger is provided with an actuating rod 20 towhich 1s con l nected an arm 21. The rod 20 may be connected directlytothe plunger 19, if desired. As shown, however, a spring 23 is arrangedbetween a collar 22, arranged upon the rod and the plunger, so that asthe arm 21 is moved toward the plunger, the collar 22 bearing on spring23, forces the plunger toward the tap, the spring being. sufficientlystrong or stiff to serve in substantially the same manner as a directconnection. However, in the case of any binding or jamming of the nut atthe foot of the conveyer, the spring will be compressed, taherebypreventing injury to the machine. A `collar 21 or flange is arranged onthe rod 20, s0 as to draiv the plunger back on the return movement ofthe arm 21.

The relative rate of travel ofthe plunger and the tap may be as desiredor preferred. The arm 21 may be rocked in any suitable manner, as shown,it is extended as at 26, the sam.: being pivotally secured at 25 to theframe. The free end of the arm 26 is provided with a roller 27, whichco-perates with a cam wheel 29, having a cam slot 28 therein. The camWheel 29 is driven by a bevel gear 30 from a pinion 31, carried by ashaft 32, which may be driven by gears 33, or sprocket chains, or belts,froml the shaft 9.

'It Was previously stated that the chuck parts 6, 6 were made in aplurality of parts for convenience in manufacture and for convenience inthe insertion of the tool. Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, it may bementioned that the division of the chuck parts,

instead of being made as shown, may be substantially on the lines a, a,or transversely the chuck, or along the lines b, b, or along any otherlines of division that will serve the purpose. While it is shown made intwo parts, it may be made in any number of parts. I might also mentionthe fact that while the aperture is shown uniform in cross sectionthroughout its length, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myselfto this construction, as there might be occasions when it would bedesirable to vary the aperture, as for example, by cutting -the chuckaway, as for example, as indicated by the dotted lines@ in Figs. 5 and6, or in some other desired Way.

In Figs. 7 and 8, Ishow a modified form of chuck, in which 34 isone'part provided with a removable part 35, the cover being so arrangedthat enough of the opening 36 is exposed to permit the ready insertionof v the tap shown, or finishing of the device.

This chuck is also curved at 36 similar to the other chucks. Thethickness of the cover part 35 may be as desired. As shown, the entirecover does not extend to the aperture` but the same is provided with anextending part 35, which fits into the opening.

In Fig. 9, I illustrate a chuck very similar to that shown in Figs. 5and 6, except, however, that the same is provided with a movable liningmade in two parts, 39 and 40, which may be divided upon any desiredline. In case of wear, the removable lining may be replaced, or byvarying the thickness of the lining, the chuck may bemade applicable fornuts of different sizes.

Fig. U10 illustrates a chuck that is somewhat different in that it ismore like a piece of pipe, or that is, is tubular. Referring to thefigure, 41 and 42 represent the chuck parts secured together by a collar43, or the equivalent. In this case I have shown the chuck supported bythe frame 44 lsecured in position by a collar 46 and the sprocket wheel45, which may be used to drive the chuck. I also illustrate a guard 47arranged over the top and sidesof the end 42, the same being open at thebottom half, so that the nuts may be `dropped out.

In Fig. l1 a slightly modified tap is shown, in which 48 represents thecutting tool, 49 the straight shank, and 50 a curved shank end, the tap,when assembled, being substantially similar to that shown in Fig. 4. Atap of this form should be very easily inserted in a tap chuck, eventhough the chuck was made in one piece. As an illustration, refer toFig. 10. If the pipe parts 41 and 42 were integral, the tap might bevery readily inserted by unscrewing the two parts, then inserting thecurved part 50 into the curved part of the chuck, and the straight shankpart 49 intothe straight part of the chuck, and then screwing the two parts together. The threads, however, should be so arranged fthat therewould be no -temlency for the tapping parts to unscrew during theoperation of the machine. Having thus described my invention, it isobvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the samewithout departing from the spirit of my invention, hence I do not wishto be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction,arrangement or combination of parts herein shown and described, or usesmentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is v1. In anut tapping machine the combination of a rotatable chuck holder providedwith a recess at one end, of a chuck adapted to detachably fit withinthe recess in the holder and provided with a passage extending throughthe same and bent at an angle from a straight line, and a cooperatingtap bent in substantial uniformity to the passage of the chuck andadapted to be positioned therein, said chuck consisting of sectionsseparable to permit the positioning of the said tap in the passage ofthe chuck, the sections of the chuck being held together and supportedby the holder, and means coupling the chuck and chuck holder forrotation together.

nation of a rotatable chuck holder provided with a recess at one end, ofa chuck adapted to removably fit within the recess in the holder andprovided with a passage extending through the same, the passage beingbent at an angle from a straight line, and a 'tap bent in substantialuniformity to the lpassage and adapted toA be positioned in the passageof the chuck, said chuck being divided longitudinally into separablesections to permit the positioning of the said tap in the passage of thechuck, the separable sections of the chuck being held together andsupported by the holder, and a part of the chuck engaging a part lon thechuck holder to couple the chuck and holder for rotation towith a recessat one end thereof, of a chuck.

adapted to be removably fitted within the recess of the holder andprovided' with a passage extending through the samev and bent at anangle from a-straight line, and a coperating tap bent in substantialuniformity to the passage of the chuck and adapted to be positioned inthe said passage, said chuck comprising a block divided longitudinallyinto two mating parts to permit the positioning of the tap in thepassage of the chuck, the walls of the recess of the chuck holder beingdisposed at an angle to each other, and the chuck having angularlydisposed outer faces engaging the angularly disposed walls of the saidrecess, the separable sections of the chuck being held together andsupported by the holder.

l. A nut tapping machine including a suitable frame provided With astationary head, said head 'being recessed to provide a cylindricalbearing extending inwardly from one end thereof, a chuck holdersupported for rotation in the cylindrical bearing ofthe stationary head,a shaft extending through an opening in the other end of said stationaryhead and connected With the chuck holder, and a tap loosely positionedin the chuck and centered therein by nuts mounted on the tap.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 15 signed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE H. RIDLON.

`Witnesses:

W. E. SIIAY, L. J. FLINT.

